www.dotd.la.gov
Louisiana DOTD
SE Maintenance Peer Exchange
October 22, 2019
Maintenance
Safety Initiatives
Maintenance
Safety Initiatives
➢ Why now?
➢ Moving operation (limited crew)
➢ Maintenance uniforms
➢ Equipment warning lights
➢ Truck/Trailer mounted attenuators
Fallen LA DOTD Employees
▪ Paul V. Featherston, 24 year employeeJuly 3, 2017
District 03
➢Employee was patching a pothole, when a
private vehicle failed to stop. The private
vehicle crashed into him and his work truck.
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Paul Featherston Accident
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Fallen LA DOTD Employees
▪ Johnny Cole, 11 year employee
June 18, 2019
District 05
• Employee was performing routine sign
installation work on LA 563 in Lincoln Parish as
part of the District’s sign crew when Johnny was
struck by an18-wheeler that failed to stop.
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What can we do to make a difference?
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Moving operations (stop & go)
– Example: Pothole Patching, sign replacement
➢Pre-Job Conference
➢Follow Traffic Control Handbook and
available JSA’s
➢Park Trucks in a safe location
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Moving operations (stop & go)
– Use of a spotter with industrial whistle (For
emergency use only)
– Cone (middle of lane)
– Under 55mph 100ft behind truck
– Over 55mph 150ft behind truck
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Current PPE
➢Orange Safety Vest
➢Class 2
➢Industry standard moving
towards high visibility
yellow/green
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Proposed New Uniform
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Benefits of Upgrading to Uniforms
➢Reflective Class 3 shirts fulfill the safety role
of the vest– Vests can easily be forgotten
– Safety shirt is always on the employee
➢Full Uniforms have a more professional look– Unique look is more noticeable and eye catching
to the traveling public
– Helps establish DOTD’s brand
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Gangs to Wear the Uniform
➢Maintenance– District maintenance gangs (parish maintenance, signs,
signals, striping, bridge, maintenance specialist), and
roadside development coordinator
➢ Statewide and Survey– Sec 30 survey, Dist Survey, Sec 42 statewide equipment,
Sec 45 signal and sign, Sec 50 Loss Prevention, Sec 51
Bridge
➢Construction– District construction gangs
➢ Ferries– Dist 58, Dist 07, and Sec 42 Ferry gangs
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Warning Lights
Current LA DOTD Standard is red-amber
➢Directive states “at roof line, top of body of
vehicle”
➢Each district purchases and installs it’s own
lights = 9+ variations at best
➢Not uniformly installed
➢Inconsistent flash patterns
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Warning Lights
Goals:
➢New color = unique identifier
➢Consistency = same configuration, same
light pattern
➢Achieve brighter daytime effect, also
implement a passive nighttime setting
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Going Green
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Warning Lights–Roadside Evaluation
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Warning Lights
Why change colors?
➢Driving public desensitized to amber only
➢Green/Amber can distinguish DOTD from
other roadside vehicles
➢Green has superior daytime visibility vs.
amber and can achieve a higher intensity
than red
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Warning Lights
➢Ohio DOT, Michigan DOT, have implemented
for snow & ice equipment only
➢Connecticut DOT – moving to a green-amber
light configuration fleetwide
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Warning Lights
Next Steps….
➢Finalize standard layouts and light spec
➢New equipment will be outfitted at HQ before
picked up by district
➢Legislation to specify green as unique to
DOTD
➢3+ year to retrofit existing light installs
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Reflective Vehicle Striping
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TMA – CRITERIA for use/need
➢CRITERIA - ADT>20K and Spd>=40 mph
- Slow moving operation – sweeping, striping, buttons,
herbicide
- Shoulder work – stationary or moving
- Static lane closures on rural roads – mud jacking at
bridge ends
- Curvy and hilly roads
- Retrieving items out of the lanes on interstates and 4
lane highways
- Every crew would have one at their diposal
Trucks used for the TMA
➢ TMA’s are most often mounted to trucks that are
old and in poor condition.
➢ The AC usually doesn’t work
➢ The seat is typically a bench seat
➢ The last man on the totem pole or bravest or the
loser of paper, rock, scissor gets to drive
District 04, Gang 550 Scorpion on a 1991 Kodiak
District 04, Gang 550 TMA Seat
Fixes
Reduce driver fatigue
- Keep the AC unit working, especially for hot
days when the work train is moving very
slow.
- Rotate drivers every couple of hours
Fixes
Trucks
- Install seats that have adjustable head rests
for driver and occupant
- 4 point harness for use while its deployed
Other Concerns
Inadequate training
- Proper setup
- Knowing roll ahead distance
- Recognizing vertical / horizontal blind spots
- Proper vehicle mass
Quantity - Not enough for all work gangs in
each district.
Fixes
Formal Driver Training
➢Pursuing options to implement adequate and relevant training
➢ATSSA has an “Operation and Application of Truck-Mounted Attenuators (TMAs)” that is Classroom or Online. 4 hour course.
FIXES
➢ Increase the quantity of TMAs and Trailer Mounted
Attenuators in each district
– Currently working with districts to identify actual needs
– Will pursue financing package to expand the TMA Fleet
– Pool of TMA’s to be maintained at Equipment Unit for
immediate replacement of impacted units
# of Attenuators within the Department
DISTRICT >
02 03 04 05 07 08 58 61 62
Truck Mounted
0 3 3 4 0 2 1 5 3
Trailer Mounted
4 6 1 2 3 2 1 3 0
Total per district
4 9 4 6 3 4 2 8 3
Total 43
# of Gangs that could use an attenuator
DISTRICT > 02 03 04 05 07 08 58 61 62
MaintenanceGangs
6 8 7 9 5 7 6 8 7
Striping Gang
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bridge Gang 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bridge Inspection
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Herbicide Applicators
5 8 6 9 6 8 4 6 7
# of gangs 14 19 16 21 14 18 13 17 17
Total # of Gangs
149
Difference between Needs and Haves
DISTRICT > 02 03 04 05 07 08 58 61 62
# of gangs 14 19 16 21 14 18 13 17 17
# of available attenuators
4 9 4 6 3 4 2 8 3
Difference 10 10 12 15 11 14 11 9 14
Total Difference
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COSTS
Rental Cost- TMA from United Rentals (includes the truck) is:
– $459.30/day
– $1148.47/week
– $2871.19/month (yearly rental = $34,454.28)
– Limited availability
Purchase Cost- Trailer mounted attenuators purchases FY19 ~ $25,000
- Max need (106 units): $2,500,000
Other Discussion Topics
Cable Barrier Repair
➢Issues with mobilization costs in
maintenance contracts.
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Other Discussion Topics
Maintenance Academy
➢Which states have them? Target
populations?
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Other Discussion Topics
TMA Reimbursement
➢What is your level of success of collection
from insurance?
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